The Battle in the Heart
by storyfactory
Summary: When pregnant Brennan gets kidnapped Booth has to face the ghosts of his past.
1. Chapter 1

"Let me come with you, Bones."

This was the first time they talked since Bones had confessed him her pregnancy in the street last night. After the initial euphoria had slowly faded away, the two of them dived into silence. Booth felt puzzled, and knew that she, too, was trying to gauge what they were about to face. The question that both of them were afraid to say out loud was whether they were ready face it. The prospect of having a baby together could put their already messy enough relationship on a whole new level of complexity. He was actually a bit relieved when she asked him to take her home last night – that was her subtle way of telling him that she needed some time and space.

"No. You must go to work. I can take care of this by myself. I have an appointment with Dr. Conrad at ten, so I guess I can be at the lab at eleven. "

She tried to sound confident over the phone, but he knew her long enough to sense her uncertainty under the surface.

"Okay. But you know that you can count on me, right? I know you're all strong and independent, Bones, but I'm here to help. Just tell me if you want me to come with you, and I'll take the morning off." Booth made another attempt, but he knew that once Bones had made up her mind, it was pointless to argue with her.

"It's not necessary. As of now, all I want to do is get the pregnancy officially confirmed. I need evidence, Booth." That already sounded more like the real Bones. Booth could only hope that once she has her evidence, she will find it easier to come to terms with the whole situation. Although there was a lot they needed to discuss, he decided not to push it any further right now – he granted her time and space.

"I get that. Then I see you around eleven. Take care, Bones."

"I will."

Later in the FBI headquarters Booth found himself being barely able to concentrate on work. He was driving everyone crazy by acting edgy and constantly checking his watch – he was so eager to see Bones and to find out what the doctor said. After he had threatened another agent with his gun for taking the last chocolate bar from the vending machine, Hacker ordered him to leave. He left reluctantly much to the relief of his co-workers.

He arrived at the lab at five past eleven, but Bones's office was empty. He found it odd that she had not arrived yet – the doctor's office was not that far away. He was just going to ask Angela if she had seen her, when his phone rang. He looked at the display hopefully, but it wasn't her number. It was a blocked number.

"Booth."

"Agent Booth, did you lose something precious?"

"Who is this?"

"I have a little gift for you. Do you see that brown box on the desk?"

"Yes." There was indeed a strange brown box on Bones's desk.

"Open it."

"I'm not opening anything until you tell me who you are and what do you want."

The man burst out into laughter. "Come on, Agent Booth. Are you afraid of a small box? Be a man. Open it. "

Booth went over to the desk, and unwrapped the 'gift'. He glanced into the box. His face became tense as he realized what he was looking at.

It was Bones's dolphin ring with blood on it. Feeling his strength slipping away, he collapsed on the couch. Fear started to build up inside his heart.

"Dr. Brennan is with me, Agent Booth," the man said matter-of-factly. "But don't worry. I won't hurt her. I just want to make her happy. "

"Don't you dare to touch her, you son of a bitch," Booth yelled into the phone.

The man was laughing in a weird almost gentle voice, but all of a sudden he stopped. "I do whatever I want, Agent Booth. Now you know how it feels when you can't have something you really-really want. Because you want her so much, don't you, Agent Booth? But I don't blame you. She is so beautiful. Her hair is so shiny and her skin is so soft. " Booth heard him breathing intensely. "But you wouldn't be good to her. You just want to take advantage of her. Not like me. I will worship her. And respect her."

"I want to talk to Dr. Brennan." He vaguely remembered that according to protocol this is what he was supposed to ask, but he found it really hard to act rational.

"I'm sorry, she isn't available at the moment. She is busy getting ready for the ball. I'm taking Cinderella to the ball tonight and then we'll live happily ever after," he said and hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate them. This is the first time I write fiction in English, so comments are welcomed! Please review!**

The next half an hour felt like an emotional rollercoaster – Booth had gone from denial to guilt and to despair before he was able to regain his self-control as much as it was possible in his situation. This can't be true, he thought. There must be another explanation. She is going to show up in the doorway any minute now, he tried persuading himself. It's all his fault. Why did he let her go alone? No, it's all HER fault. Why does she always have to be so stubborn and do everything on her own? No, of course, it's not her fault. When he had woken up this morning he had been full of hopes and excitement – with the baby, he thought, fate had finally given him a chance to make up for his mistakes and to restore his relationship with Bones. He had arrived at the lab with the prospect of a new beginning, and found himself in the midst of his worst nightmare. He shook his head. This can't be true. Then he couldn't help but see all those horrible pictures in his head about what could happen to her which made her heart beat faster than ever. He breathed deeply, trying to force the images to go away. He realized that the only way he would be able to face this whole thing was if he repressed his feelings and kept his head cool. Panic won't help her. And that's what Bones would expect him to do, too, – set aside unnecessary emotions and do his job as always. It's time to compartmentalize – he learnt it from her. For the time being he managed to overcome his fear for her, and he was determined to keep it that way.

First thing to do was to inform Angela, Hodgins and Cam about what had happened. He didn't say anything about the pregnancy though – at this point he still hoped that there would be another happier occasion to do it. They were just as shocked as him, but Booth didn't want to waste more time.

"Guys, I know it's hard, but we really need to start working. I know you're worried, but worrying doesn't help her. What helps her is doing our job as always."

Cam and Hodgins nodded and left. They hoped to find some fingerprints or other traces on the box and on the ring.

"You sound like Brennan," Angela said, wiping his tears away.

"I know. Angela, I want you to look into her computer. Check her e-mails, and tell me if you find anything."

"Sure."

He was heading for the door, but Angela's voice made him stop.

"She is very strong, Booth. And she knows that you will come for her. Her faith in you gives her enough strength to bear everything."

"I doubt that her faith in me is that strong," Booth said. "Maybe it had been before, but since I came back from Afghanistan everything's changed."

"Yes, you've changed and she's changed, but your feelings for each other haven't," she said with a reassuring smile, but it didn't convince him.

"Booth, men usually buy women flowers and chocolate to prove they love them. You saved her from being buried alive. You killed for her. You got blown up for her. You took a bullet for her. Trust me. She has faith in you."

He could only hope that she was right. "Thanks, Angela. Look, I really need to go now".

"Of course. Go, and do what you need to do. I'll call you if I find something."

On his way to Bones's apartment he called Sweets, and asked him to meet him at the lab later. The FBI recorded all of his incoming calls, and he hoped that it would be enough for Sweets to draw up a profile. Bones's apartment was intact, he didn't notice anything extraordinary. The pain in his heart caused by the scent of her perfume which was still in the air made him leave hastily – he couldn't let his emotions overtake him. Driving back to the lab he made a secret detour by Dr. Conrad's office who informed him that she had never showed up for her appointment. It meant that she had probably been kidnapped on his way to the doctor after she had already left her apartment.

By the time he arrived at the lab, Sweets had already been there.

"How are you, Agent Booth?" he asked, looking truly worried.

"I'm fine." He said impatiently, wishing Sweets would stop studying him with that irritating shrink look on his face. He hoped that the less he said, the more difficult it would be for him to read his mind.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk? I'm aware that you think you can approach this in a professional way, but this isn't gonna work out. You think that you can ignore your real feelings, but it's Dr. Brennan we are talking about, for God's sake. And with regard to the underlying emotional circumstances, it might help if you considered…"

At this point Booth lost his temper – right now the last thing he needed was Sweets psychoanalyzing him. "Sweets, I really don't need this right now. I just want to do my job. That's all. Why don't people let me do my job? That stupid Hacker called me because he wanted to take me off the case. Was that your idea, too?"

Sweets retreated as the FBI agent took a step toward him angrily. "No, it wasn't. As a matter of fact, I told Hacker that no one could keep you away from this case."

"You were right, Sweets."

In this moment Cam entered the room, putting an end to their conversation much to Booth's relief.

"Did you find any fingerprints on the box?" Booth asked.

"Hodgins is still working on it, but I think I've found something."

"What?"

"There's something I didn't understand. How did the box get on Dr. Brennan's desk? Every package the Jeffersonian receives must be recorded and checked by the security department. I just asked them, and there's no trace of this package," Cam paused, waiting for the others to digest the information. "This can only mean one thing."

"That someone from the Jeffersonian smuggled it in into Bones's office," Booth said.

Chapter 3 coming soon (it's basically ready, it just needs some editing)


	3. Chapter 3

Assuming that the package was delivered by someone who works in the Jeffersonian Booth ordered to close down the whole facility. "No one can leave the building until we ransack each office and question every single person," he told to the FBI techs. "He might be still here." But even before he could get to the questioning part, one of the techs reported to find something in the basement. As he and Sweets entered the cleaning staff's locker room, the techs crowding in front of one of the lockers parted to make a path for them.

Booth flinched as the inside of the locker unfolded in front of him – it was wallpapered with hundreds of photos of Bones. Most of the photos were taken in the lab, but there were some taken outside the Jeffersonian, too, which meant that whoever owned the locker had probably been stalking her. Booth had seen many twisted forms of obsessions in his life, but the thought of Bones being the target of one of them was almost unbearable.

They also discovered a collection of personal objects that belonged to Bones. A blue lab coat with her nametag on it, a mug and a necklace which had probably been stolen from her office. His heart skipped a beat as he noticed the little Brainy Smurf figure – it was his gift to Bones to prove how much he admired her intellect. She had kept it on her desk until it went missing a month ago. It symbolized one of their most treasured moments, it was theirs, and no one had the right to steal it from them, he thought.

There were also many photos of the two of them. Bones and him sitting on the couch in her office and eating Thai takeaway; smiling at each other indecently over a dead body; sharing an apple pie in the diner – something he finally managed to talk her into. Those were very intimate moments, and the thought that someone intruded into their relationship so aggressively drove Booth crazy.

"Damn it," he said, slamming the door of the locker so furiously that the FBI techs took a step back.

"This guy has been stalking the two of you probably for months," Sweets said, carefully trying to gauge the extent of his anger. „How come you've never noticed him?"

"I don't know, Sweets. My brain must have been occupied with a lot of other things lately."

"It's not very typical of you not noticing something like that." Sweets said in a strange way, as if he suspected that there was something kept hidden from him.

"Not now, Sweets, okay?" He said, wishing he had stopped scrutinizing him. Much to his relief, Sweets turned his attention back to the locker.

"Whose locker is it?" Booth asked the techs.

"His name is Kevin Hawkins."

"Where is he now?"

"He isn't here. He checked in at 9:30 this morning, but he left at 10:00. He told his boss he felt sick."

"Okay. Give me his address. I bring in the son of a bitch."

Kevin Hawkins was at home and showed neither surprise nor resistance as Booth brought him in for questioning to the FBI headquarters. He and Sweets were watching him from behind the one-way mirror as he sat in the interrogation room. He was in his early forties. A thin man without any distinctive features. Average, that was the most appropriate word to describe him. The kind of person who is quite pleasing to look at if you ever notice him. Both his hair and his beard were neatly trimmed. He didn't seem nervous. He was slowly tapping his fingers on the side of his chair with a rather arrogant and somehow indifferent look on his face.

"I go in with you," said Sweets.

"No, I want to do this alone."

"Agent Booth, you are the most stubborn person I know – except for Dr. Brennan of course – , and even if you don't want to admit it, I can see how much this case confuses you. Your feelings for Dr. Brennan, which you, for some unknown reason, simply can't give up denying, can have a very serious impact on your performance. Tell me you can face a man who has an abnormal desire for Dr. Brennan and stay calm. You can't, Agent Booth. You will go in and lost your temper in ten seconds."

"I will be fine, Sweets."

"At least leave your gun here."

"Have I ever told you how annoying you are, Sweets?"

"Every single day since I met you."

"My gun stays with me," Booth said firmly, and walked off to face the stalker.

Chapter 4 coming soon: Booth vs. the stalker

**THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

Booth entered the interrogation room, having no idea about how to conduct the questioning. He just hoped that his instincts wouldn't let him down. He understood Sweets's concerns – he knew that if Hawkins had hurt Bones, he wouldn't hesitate to show him his evil side. However, Hawkins might have been the only person who had information about Bones, and with no other clues at hand right now the success of the investigation was dependent solely on him. This thought made Booth feel uncomfortable.

"Why am I here?" Hawkins asked as he entered the room.

He sat down across the table from him.

"Mr. Hawkins, you work at the Jeffersonian as a cleaner, right?"

"Yes."

"This morning you checked in at work at 9:00 AM. Thirty minutes later you left because you felt sick."

"And why does the FBI care? Is it a federal crime to be sick?" Hawkins smirked.

"You don't seem very sick."

"There's pain which is invisible to the eye, Agent Booth," he said, staring intently at Booth.

Booth placed the box with the ring on the table in front of Hawkins. He glanced into it.

"That's Dr. Brennan's ring. Did something happen to her?" he asked, wearing a look of concern which seemed almost honest.

"You tell me. We found your locker," Booth said, leaning closer to him across the table.

Hawkins set back in his chair. "I see. You got me. I confess everything," he said with a slight smile on his face. "My sin is falling in love with the most beautiful and most intelligent woman in the world. Loving someone isn't a crime, Agent Booth," he concluded.

He wore his tight smile like a mask, and Booth couldn't see behind it.

"No, it's not. But you can be beaten up for it," Booth said, holding his gaze on him.

Hawkins let out a little laugh. "Are you jealous, Agent Booth?"

"Jealous ?"

"I think that you've just realized that you and I are not that different," Hawkins said, nearly laughing.

"What do you know about the box?" Booth asked, trying to prevent Hawkins from driving the questioning to a wrong a direction.

But he ignored the question. "I feel bitterness in your voice, Agent Booth. But I understand you. I have been watching you and Dr. Brennan from the day I joined the Jeffersonian. Your attempts to win Dr. Brennan's love have been pathetic. Even a blind man can see how much you lust after her. And look at you. You are not any closer to her than I am. It's time to admit that you've failed. She doesn't want you," he said victoriously.

Booth rose from his seat.

"You're barely more than a stalker yourself," Hawkins added, looking up at him with an expression of pity.

"That's enough Hawkins," Booth said, standing over him and glaring down with a threatening look on his face. "Dr. Brennan is missing. What do you know about this box?"

"Someone asked me to put that box on her desk," he said matter-of-factly.

"Who?"

"I don't know his name. He called me only once. He told me he would leave a package in front of my door this morning. He said it was a gift for Dr. Brennan. The guy wrote a novel, or something, and he wanted Dr. Brennan to help him get it published. That's why he wanted to send her a gift. " Hawkins shrugged. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Booth tilted his head thoughtfully and stared intently at Hawkins. He tried to figure out whether he was telling the truth. They remained silent for a while, which unnerved Hawkins. He became uneasy and shifted his seat.

"That's the truth, Agent Booth. I want to help you. I love Dr. Brennan," he said, his arrogance faltering. "She is everything to me. If anything happens to her, I-I...," he shook his head, his lips trembling.

Booth turned away from him in disgust. He stepped out of the interrogation room and ran into Sweets in the corridor.

"What do you think?"

"This man is very unstable mentally," Sweets said.

"Yeah, I noticed. But did he tell the truth about the other man?"

Sweets shrugged. "Hard to tell. Maybe if I could talk to him..."

Booth interrupted. "No, Sweets. I think it would be a waste of time. Go back to the lab and help Angela go through Bones's e-mails. This mysterious novelist might have e-mailed his manuscript to her. Call me if you find anything."

**Chapter 5 coming soon...thanks for reading...please review**


	5. Chapter 5

After Sweets had left, Booth arranged the necessary paperwork to keep Hawkins in custody. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to send Sweets back to the lab instead of letting him talk to Hawkins. He wasn't sure if Hawkins was telling him the truth about delivering the package on behalf of someone else. He wasn't sure even in his own abilities, which made him feel lost and clueless. He knew the questioning was a failure. His instincts, which he has always taken great pride in, let him down this time. Hawkins's observations about Bones and him affected him much more than he'd like to admit. His words and the way he talked about how he was in love with Bones confused him, leaving him with disturbing thoughts about their relationship and doubts in his own feelings. He hated that he let someone like Hawkins paralyze and manipulate him. This case started to consume his heart and he didn't like that feeling. Maybe Sweets was right. He needed help.

He decided to go back to the lab to see if the others found anything. He rushed out of the J. Edgar Hoover building at such a speed that he almost swept a passer-by away, making her drop her purse on the ground.

"Excuse me", he said, stooping to pick it up. As he glanced up at the owner of the purse, he couldn't believe his eyes. He saw an angel standing in front of him. The woman was wearing a long, floating, white dress with a beautiful embroidered belt around her waist. Her skin was like porcelain almost as white as the dress itself, her blonde hair glowing in the summer sun. Booth could swear her feet didn't touch the ground, it seemed to him as if she was floating in the air. He rose slowly, feeling hypnotized by this vision.

"Good morning, Agent Booth." Mush to his surprise, the ethereal creature greeted him with a very familiar smile, her voice pulling him back into reality.

"Avalon," he said, looking at her in confusion. He never thought he would see Angela's psychic again. "What are you doing here?"

"The Harbingers trial will begin tomorrow. I have an appointment with the prosecutor. I'm testifying against Fargood, remember?" she said in her melodic voice, holding her gaze on his face.

Booth started to feel uncomfortable. He felt like Avalon was reading him like an open book.

She kept studying him curiously, her eyes becoming narrower. "You are in serious trouble, Agent Booth. Come, sit down," she said, pulling him down on a bench. She took her cards from her purse. "Pick a card."

"Look, Avalon, I'm sorry, but I really don't have time for this right now," Booth said.

"I helped you save Dr. Brennan's life once, remember? Pick a card."

Booth nodded. Still feeling somewhat hypnotised he picked a card and handed it over to Avalon. She was staring at the card for a couple of moments, then nodded.

"You've lost something valuable," she started slowly, choosing each word very carefully. "But the battle in your heart prevents you from thinking clearly. It's time to finish that battle, Agent Booth, and realize that you've won. The gates of the heart you have been fighting for opened up to you. You just need to go inside. She is waiting for you. It's time to quiet the lion heart," she said with a comforting smile. "Remember? I told you that it all would work out eventually. I was right. Finally, everything makes sense, every little piece has found its place. You will be able to see it, too, if you stop fighting with your heart. And once you see it, your faith will be strong enough to find what you've lost."

Booth was speechless. He shook his head. It wasn't the first time Avalon got something so right about Bones and him. How she did it was a mystery for Booth. He couldn't explain it, nor could he explain why he felt so much better all of a sudden. The psychic was right. How could he lost his faith in the two of them even for a second? Now he can see it. He loves her. She loves him. It's simple and clear. And he will find her whatever it takes. He will save her and they will have a baby together. They will be a family. This thought made him smile and filled him with strength. It's time to act, he thought. "Thank you, Avalon," he said, getting up from the bench. "But I really need to go now."

Avalon nodded. "Go, Agent Booth. Do what you have to do," she said, smiling.

Booth got into his car and as he was driving away he saw her standing on the pavement, still and peaceful, her dress floating in the wind, her blonde hair shining so brightly as if she was wearing a crown made of rays of sunshine. God sent an angel to save me, Booth thought, and for the first time today he felt that he was ready to face anything to get Bones back.

Back in the lab he found the whole team on the platform. They must have found something because they seemed very excited.

"What happened?" Booth asked.

"Good news," said Cam. „I made some more tests, and I think the blood on the ring isn't Dr. Brennan's."

"What do you mean it's not hers?" he asked in confusion.

"The person whose blood is on the ring is pregnant," said Cam, looking at Booth victoriously.

"Oh." He didn't see that coming.

"What do you mean by 'oh'? Are you not happy?" Sweets asked.

Booth sighed. Apparently he couldn't avoid this conversation any longer. "Look, guys, I need to tell you something," he said.

Four pairs of eyes were fixed on him, eager to hear what he had to say.

**Thanks for reading… please review….next chapter coming soon **


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: in this story Brennan didn't tell Angela that she had slept with Booth, and Angela and Hodgins don't have a baby**

After some hesitation Booth decided it was best to get right to the heart of it.

"Bones is pregnant," he said straightforwardly. "I'm the father," he added quickly, seeing the confusion on his friends' faces.

Following his announcement, silence filled the room. They looked shocked, but Booth couldn't blame them. He was pretty shocked himself yesterday evening. They were just standing there for a couple of minutes without saying a word, each of them trying to digest the information in their own ways.

Booth finally decided it was time to break the silence. "Any questions?" he asked, spreading his hands. "Sweets," he said, looking at the shrink. "You're a man of words. Say something."

But Sweets just stared at him in confusion.

"Did you finally donate sperm to her?" asked Cam, finally managing to overcome her astonishment. "I thought it was off the table. I didn't know she was still considering it."

"Me neither," Sweets said. "I told you it wouldn't be a good idea. That it would totally undermine your partnership. I thought she had already given up that idea."

"No. She would have told it to me," said Angela. "Something else must have happened."

"Yeah," said Hodgins, joining the conversation. "They drank too much, ended up in bed together, and woke up in the morning with regrets."

"No, Dr. Brennan doesn't do things like that," said Cam.

"Well, she almost did it once," Sweets said.

"She did? When?" Cam asked.

"When they were working their first case together," Sweets explained. Angela and Hodgins nodded.

It's amazing how much these know about Bones and him, Booth thought. It was fun though listening to their theories.

"Hello," Booth said, waving at them. "I'm right here. You can ask me. You know, I'm Booth. As in Brennan and Booth. I was there. I have firsthand information on what happened. I mean, in case you want to know the truth."

He finally managed to catch their attention. They turned to him expectantly.

"Right. Look, I didn't donate. It happened in the traditional way. The way normal people usually do it."

"Of course. How come we didn't think about that? Because the two of you are such _normal people_," Angela noted with irony.

Booth didn't reply. He turned to Hodgins. "And there were no regrets in the morning."

"You know the FBI won't let you work together," Sweets said.

"When did it happen?" Cam asked.

"And why didn't she tell it to me? I'm her best friend," Angela wondered.

Wow, that's a lot of questions, Booth thought. He wished to go back to the part where they had been too dumbfounded to speak.

"Look, guys. I know you probably have a million questions. And I promise I will answer them later. But the only thing that matters right now is that Bones is out there with our baby, and we have to do everything to find them. Because we will find them. We will. I know," he said, trying to sound as persuasive as possible. "So, please, let's get back to work. We can't waste time." His friends nodded approvingly.

"Thanks."

Angela sat down at Bones's desk to check her e-mails. Cam and Hodgins left to run more tests on the box.

"I can't help noticing that you're much more confident than you were before," Sweets said.

Booth nodded. "I got some…inspiration."

"Inspiration? From whom?"

"From an angel," Booth said, smiling.

Sweets looked unconvinced. "An angel? You know I could have helped you, too, if you had been willing to talk to me openly."

"Sweets, look, I'm sorry. You know, I like to think of myself as a man who can easily hide his emotions. But when you're around I feel like I'm transparent. You know me way too well, Sweets, and sometimes that makes me feel… vulnerable."

"Makes _you_ feel _vulnerable_?"

"That's right. Don't want me to say it again."

Sweets sighed. "Fine. Apology accepted."

"Booth. I think I found something", said Angela. "Two months ago Brennan received a manuscript. A guy asked her to help him to get his book published."

"She usually ignores these kinds of requests," Booth said.

"Yes, she does. The guy sent her twenty-five e-mails and she never replied."

"That could have pissed him off."

"Yeah, but there's more," Angela said. "Look at the title of his book."

Booth and Sweets moved closer to see the screen.

"Cinderella at the ball."

**I am so happy that so many of you follow my story! I really appreciate your interest **

**Please tell me what you think… chapter 7 coming soon**


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh my God. He kidnapped Brennan and now he wants to make the story he wrote come true?" Angela exclaimed.

Both she and Booth looked at Sweets expectantly, wanting him to answer the question. This isn't good, Booth thought. He could handle a stalker. A stalker is a coward who probably wouldn't have the courage to do actual harm. Stalkers like to keep distance, and if they get close to the desired person, they freeze. But psychos are very unpredictable. That's what makes them really dangerous.

"Yes, that could make sense. I mean in a rather twisted psycho kind of way," Sweets explained. "This man wrote a book. It's probably not a good one because if it was, he wouldn't have asked for Dr. Brennan's help to get it published. But he might think his book is great, and doesn't understand why publishers keep refusing him. He becomes angry. And then he, I'm not sure why, finds Dr. Brennan. Maybe he likes her books. He keeps sending her the e-mails, but she ignores him. Another major disappointment. He can't handle it anymore, so he decides to take revenge on her."

"But that doesn't explain why he called Bones Cinderella? Why does he want to make the story come true?" Booth asked.

Sweets shrugged. "I don't know. I think we should read the story to find out more about his intentions. You know writers reveal a lot about themselves in their books."

"Right. That's what we will do," Booth said, then turned to Angela. "What do we know about the guy?"

"He only indicated his pen name. It's Dead Panther," Angela said. "Very catchy."

"Panther?" Booth asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Why? Does it mean anything to you?"

"I'm not sure. I just...You know what? Never mind. How about his e-mail address?"

"It's a web-based e-mail address. You are not obliged to give your personal data if you want to get an e-mail address like that. It's practically impossible to know who opened the account," Angela said. "But I try to do my best to figure something out," she added quickly, realizing that Booth wasn't very satisfied with her answer.

Booth nodded. "Great. Thanks, Angela. And could you print out two copies of the manuscript for Sweets and me?"

"Sure."

Sweets and Booth went over to the couch in the eating area. Equipped with a cup of coffee they sat down ready to go through the manuscript.

"Right, Sweets. You read the first part and I read the second part from page 150. We have to do it fast, okay? "

Sweets nodded.

Booth went to page 150 and began to read. He had skimmed through five pages, when a very disturbing and uncomfortable thought entered his mind. He shook his head doubtfully. No, that can't be true, he thought. It must be a coincidence. He went on reading, trying to get rid of that unwanted thought without any success. Slowly, but surely he came to realize what he was reading about. The characters, the places, the events, even the little details were too accurate to be coincidental, he had to admit. All of a sudden his past came back to him, making long forgotten memories surface.

"I know this story, Sweets," he said.

"Yeah, it is not very original. Sounds like a typical teenage love story about a shy unpopular boy, a real bookworm, falling in love with a beautiful cheerleader. The boy doesn't have any friends, but one day the captain of the basketball team, one of the most popular boys of the school, approaches him. They become friends, and the basketball player encourages him to ask the cheerleader out to the prom," Sweets shrugged. "There are dozens of movies that tell the same story. That's why it might seem familiar to you."

"No, Sweets, it's something else."

Sweets stared at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The shy boy asks the cheerleader out, the girl says yes, but in the very last moment he decides to go with the basketball player. The two of them get together, but the basketball player dumps the girl in a couple weeks. The shy boy never forgives the basketball player," Booth explained.

"So?"

"I am that basketball player, Sweets. I'm the one who took Cinderella to the ball."

"What? No," Sweets said, shaking his head. "His name is Victor."

"Oh, come on. He changed the names, but everything else fits. It happened, Sweets. Back in Pittsburgh. That's where I went to high school. And I was the captain of the basketball team. And his pen name? Dead Panther? Our team's mascot was a panther."

Sweets nodded. "I see. That explains a lot of things."

"Really? Good for you. Because I'm rather clueless at this point."

"Until now we have thought that this was about Dr. Brennan. But now we know that this is about you. He wants to take revenge on _you_."

Booth collapsed on the couch.

"Wait. This whole thing is happening to Bones because I was a jerk at high school?"

"You weren't a jerk. You approached this guy. You wanted to help him. Do you remember his name? In the book he calls himself Darwin. But I assume it's not his real name."

"Not really. I barely knew him. I can't remember even his face. They moved from Pittsburgh right after the prom. In reality I only talked to him twice."

"But in the story he says that the two of you were friends."

"Well, not quite. I just wanted to make him feel better. No one liked him because he was weird."

"So what happened?"

Booth sighed. "The other boys on the basketball team were giving him a hard time. He always wore the weirdest clothes, and his hair looked strange. He was quite smart, though, he had his nose in a book all the time. I took pity on him and one day I sat down beside him in the cafeteria. I just wanted to give him advice. I told him to get out of the way of the basketball players. A couple of days later he came to me. He told me that he was in love with Cindy, her name I remember quite well, one of the cheerleaders. I almost forgot about him, but he acted as if we had been friends. I encouraged him to be honest to her and ask her out to the prom. Cindy agreed, but I don't think she really wanted to go with him. It was just a prank to humiliate him. Cindy showed up at our place an hour before the prom and told me she wanted to go with me. I couldn't say no."

"How come you couldn't say no?" Sweets asked.

"She was literally begging me to take her to the prom. She was beautiful and, I don't know, my hormones just took control over my brain. Come on, Sweets, you know what I'm talking about. You were a teenage boy, too."

"Yeah. I get that. And what happened after the prom?"

"Well, turned out the girl was nuts. She was needy and show-off and only wanted to be with me because I was the captain. So I dumped her."

Sweets went to the last page of the manuscript.

"According to him, the basketball player broke the cheerleader's heart."

"I can assure you I didn't break her heart. She probably didn't even have a heart. She was a real bitch."

"But not for him. He believes that her heart was broken, which would have never happened if she had gone to the prom with him. He believes it's all your fault."

"Okay. This is crazy. I have to call the bureau and ask them to go through high school databases. We need to find his name," Booth said. "Keep on reading, Sweets, and let me know if you find something."

Angela was still sitting in front of Bones's computer when Booth entered her office twenty minutes later.

"Booth, I can't believe that," she said. "Sweets has just told me what you found out. Did you really go to the same high school as him?"

"Yeah. The FBI has just sent me his personal file," he said. "His name is Marvin Betley. To be honest, it doesn't ring a bell with me. He moved from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg with his family in the summer of 1986. That was right after the prom."

"Harrisburg? That's odd," said Angela.

"Why?"

"Kevin Hawkins, the stalker, had been living in Harrisburg before he came to work here."

"So Kevin Hawkins and Marvin Betley know each other? Hawkins said he didn't know the person who asked him to deliver the box."

"Oh my God," said Angela, staring at the screen.

"What?" Booth asked.

"I managed to locate the IP address of the computer the e-mails were sent from," she said looking up at him in confusion. "It's in the Jeffersonian. It's the computer in the cleaning staff's room."

Booth shook his head. "I don't understand. Hawkins sent Bones the e-mails? Wait a minute. If he is the one who wrote the book and he was living in Harrisburg before, it means that he… oh my God."

He felt the room spin around. He glanced at Angela with growing despair in his eyes.

"It means that Kevin Hawkins and Marvin Betley are the same person. And I just got him released."

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't understand," Sweets said, shaking his head.

"Marvin Betley and I went to the same high school," Booth explained. "He fell in love with a girl, but I stole her from him, at least this is what he thinks I did, for which he could never forgive me. He wrote a book about the story. He comes to work to the Jeffersonian..."

Sweets interrupted. "But how did he know you worked here?"

Booth shrugged. "I don't know. It may be a coincidence."

"It's not a coincidence," Angela said. "In his first e-mail he mentions that he met Brennan at a book signing in Lancaster."

"Of course, in Lancaster. He saw us there together. I remember that book signing. It was three years ago. Bones asked me to go there with her because, you know, conversing with fans is not exactly a strength of her."

"So, he sees the two of you, and recognizes you. His resentment towards you surfaces. He decides to take revenge on you and save Dr. Brennan," Sweets continued.

"He creates a false identity and comes to work to the Jeffersonian as Kevin Hawkins, the cleaner. He is watching us and waits for the perfect moment."

"But how come you didn't recognize Betley when you interrogated him this morning?" Angela asked.

"I told you. I only spoke to him twice during high school. And they moved out of town right after the prom. And I released him. He is out again with Bones, and we have zero leads. It's all my fault." Booth said, pacing the length of the room angrily.

"It's not your fault, Agent Booth. You couldn't keep under arrest without evidence," Sweets said.

Angela stepped to Booth and laid a hand on his arm, making him stop. "Booth, calm down. We'll find her."

"Okay. Let's think," Booth said, trying hard to focus. "He said he would take Cinderella to the ball. As if he wanted to recreate the story."

"Yes, that's a very good starting point," Sweets said encouragingly. "He may want to relive the high school prom."

"Wait a minute," Angela said, opening a yellow dossier. "This is his dossier from HR. Besides working as a cleaner for the Jeffersonian, he also does voluntary work as a caretaker. He had worked for the St. Julian High School before it was closed down. It's a very old building. It will be torn down in three months. Maybe he keeps her there."

Booth stepped to Angela and hugged her tightly with excitement. "It's a lead," he exclaimed. "Thank you, Angela."

"Go," Angela said, smiling. "Go and find them."

Two other police cars had already been in front of the St. Julian High School when Booth arrived.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Booth said to another agent. "Did you see something?"

"Infrared camera detected two persons in the gym."

Thank God she is alive, Booth thought, putting on the bulletproof vest. "I go in first, and you cover me." The agents nodded.

They all entered the building, heading to the gym. The door stood ajar. Booth opened it wide slowly and peeked in. The gym was dark with only narrow stripes of light penetrating through the cardboard covered windows. Not the most favorable conditions for shooting, but he saw worse. He sensed movement in one of the corners, so he moved closer carefully.

"Seeley Booth." Betley-Hawkins's words echoed in the empty space.

Booth wanted to move even closer, but his voice halted him.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her," Betley said threateningly.

As his eyes got used to the half-light, Booth could finally see the two figures in the corner. Betley was standing behind Bones, with one arm tightly around her waist, and holding a knife to her throat with the other. No gun, Booth thought relieved. Bones seemed to be faint with duct tape over her mouth and her hands tied with a rope. She was wearing a giant lilac prom dress with a thousand of frills. She was a bit unsteady, but except that Booth couldn't see any serious injuries. There was some blood on her forehead, though, ― Betley must have hit her there.

"Let her go, Betley," Booth said firmly. "It's about you and me. It has nothing to do with her."

Betley let out a nervous laugh. "Come on, Booth. It's exactly about her. I won't let you break the heart of another girl I love."

"Like Cindy's?"

"Yeah, like hers. You know it's so disappointing. Dr. Brennan is supposed to be an intelligent woman. And even she can't resist the huge muscles, the shiny badge, the big gun." Betley became increasingly nervous as he spoke. His hand holding the knife to Bones's throat began to shake worryingly.

Booth tried to focus on the gun is his own hand. One shot. Just one hell of a shot, and he could put an end to this nightmare. He felt sweat rolling down his back. Maybe if he kept him talk, he could get a little closer.

"Girls don't change. They always want the same thing. The biggest, the strongest, the most successful. Dr. Brennan, too. She should have given me a chance to prove that I'm better than you," Betley kept rambling on.

"But you can prove that another way. There's no need for violence, Marvin," Booth said in a calm voice, moving a little bit closer.

"Yeah, like I hadn't tried it before. But she ignored me. She doesn't notice anyone but you, Booth. But you wouldn't be good to her. You would dump her just like you dumped Cindy. You don't deserve her, Mr. Super Macho FBI Agent." Betley tightened his arm around her waist and pulled the knife closer to her throat.

Unnoticeably, Booth moved even closer.

"But I can be macho, too," Betley said with increasing fury. "I will teach her a lesson. I will teach her to respect me. Until she admits what a loveable person I am. And Bones and I will live happily ever…"

Before he could finish the sentence Betley fell back, dropping his knife. Bones fell to the ground. The bullet hit Betley's right shoulder. Booth stepped at him, and placed one foot on his neck. "Don't dare to call her Bones, you sick bastard," he said and stepped back letting the agents handcuff him.

He knelt down and took Brennan in his arms. She slowly started to come round. She opened her eyes and looked around with a frightened look.

"It's okay, I'm here. I got you. It's over." Booth said, caressing her back gently. A sudden flash of relief appeared on her face as their eyes met. Booth untied the rope around her wrist and removed the duct tape.

She glanced up at him in confusion.

"Are you all right?" Booth asked worriedly, holding her face in his hands. "What did he do to you? Did he drug you?"

"No, I don't have any symptoms suggesting that," she said, touching the scar on her forehead. "I think he hit me on the frontal bone. No fracture, though."

She seemed to be trying hard to grasp the situation, and remember what happened. All of a sudden Booth saw fear in her eyes. "Booth," she said, putting her hand on her belly, "is the baby all right?"

"We are going to the hospital right now," he said with a serious look.

Brennan nodded.

"Can you walk?" he asked, gently pulling her up on her legs and wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Yes," she said. "Booth?"

"Yeah," he looked down at her with worry. "What's wrong?"

"I want to get out of this horrible dress," she said, grimacing.

Worried as he was, Booth couldn't help smiling. "Not exactly your style, right?"

**AN: So.. I wanted this to be the last chapter, but couldn't resist giving you some great B&B moments, so I will write one more chapter to finish up my story. I am hungry for reviews so please let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

It's been three days since Booth rescued Brennan from Betley. Time has passed by quietly with her sleeping most of the time, and him staying at her apartment in case she needed anything. Today she finally felt strong enough to get out of bed and join him on the couch where he had spent most of the time watching TV, eating chips and drinking beer. He only left for an hour picking up Thai food from their favorite restaurant and apple pie from the diner. Now they were sitting next to each other, not too close, though, both of them feeling somehow uncomfortable. So many things have happened since her confession four days ago ― they obviously had so many things to talk about, but none of them seemed to find the right words to say. Booth glanced sideways, flashing a shy smile at her which she returned gratefully.

"How are you feeling, Bones?" Booth asked, getting tired of the awkward silence.

Medical tests confirmed earlier that the baby was fine, much to their relief, and Booth hoped that the kidnapping wouldn't cause lasting emotional damage to her. She was a tough woman after all.

"I'm okay," she said. "Thanks for staying here with me."

"Sure," he said, being not sure at all about how to act. He loved her and he pretty much knew she loved him, too, but they have never actually told it to each other before. At least not with words. Shall he embrace her or shall he grab her hand? He wasn't sure what she expected him to say or do. He felt embarrassed. Jeez, this is just Bones, he thought, finally deciding to move a bit closer to her. She seemed to be grateful for his doing the first step. She moved closer to him, too, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"And thanks for saving my life. Again," she said, glancing up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Anytime," he said, gently wiping a tear off her face. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. They were sitting still for a couple of minutes. Booth got to realize that it wasn't odd at all. On the contrary. It felt natural and familiar. As if he had finally arrived home. Everything makes sense, every little piece has found its place. That's what Avalon told him. He wondered if Bones was feeling the same.

"What are thinking about?" he asked.

"Us," she said, placing her hand gently on her belly.

He couldn't help placing his hand on hers. "Come on, Bones, everything's gonna be just fine. I know you're scared. I had been scared, too."

"And then?"

"Then I realized that there was nothing to be scared of. It's just you and me. We can do this. I promise."

"Are we ready for this?"

"We've had six years to get ready for this."

"You're right," she said, but still looked unconvinced.

"Look, Bones," he said, facing her. "Seven years ago we were like two tiny atoms floating freely around in the universe. We were attracted to each other, but our shapes didn't match, so we couldn't unite. Instead we clashed. Over and over again. With each clash our shapes changed. We lost something, we gained something. Until we've become the perfect match. Two atoms ready to unite."

She gave him an adorable smile. "Wow. You just said a scientifically plausible metaphor."

"Just tried to use your language," he said, smiling back.

"I appreciate," she said.

"But there's something we really need to talk about, Bones," he said, his face serious.

"What?" she asked, looking a bit worried.

"I want to terminate our partnership," he said.

"What?" she asked, shocked.

"I don't want you and the baby to have any connection with murderers. I'm sure that there is a bunch of three-hundred-year-old bodies at the Jeffersonian that are eager to be identified. You can go back to your old job. You used to love that."

She shook her head. "But I love working with you much more."

"I know, Bones. But it's not only about you anymore. There's someone else who we are responsible for. We're gonna have a baby. And I am not willing to take any risk," Booth said with a definitive tone.

She nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want. And what about the baby's father?"

He put his finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him. "The baby's father can take care of himself. Like always. Don't worry."

Brennan stood up from the couch and went over to the kitchen table. Booth looked up and noticed a small package that hadn't been there before. Another suspicious-looking package? He stood up and followed her nervously.

"The mailman was here after you had gone to the restaurant," Brennan said.

"What? And you just opened the door? After all of this? Are you crazy, Bones?"

"Don't worry. It was my regular mailman."

"What's in the package?"

Brennan removed a wrapping paper and placed the content of the package on the table. It was an adorable stuffed lion cub with a red heart hanging on his collar.

"Do you know who might have sent it?" Brennan asked.

"I have an idea," he said, smiling.

_A baby with the heart of a lion_, Booth thought. _She_ knew it.

As Brennan lifted up the wrapping paper something slipped out of it and fell on the floor. Booth picked it up.

"What's that? A tarot card?" Brennan asked in surprise.

"Yes. It's called the Universe."

"And what is it supposed to mean?"

"It means that everything is coming together finally."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "How do you know?"

"I just know," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"Booth?"

"Yeah," he whispered as their eyes met.

"I think I just know it, too," she whispered back and pressed her lips against his.

Perfect match, no doubt, Booth thought, and lost himself in their kiss.

**That's it! I hope you liked it :-) Thanks for everyone who kept up until the end! I'm really overwhelmed by your nice reviews and the large number of alerts. I already have another story idea, this time something different with B&B being the cool, kick-ass crime-solving duo chasing modern day pirates in a tropical paradise. I plan lots of action, romance, misunderstanding, jealousy, etc. I can't wait to start it!**


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